Eclipse Six lighting

[fjf888]

I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with an Eclipse System Six tank. Its the 6 gallon tank with built in biowheel filtration, comes with a whopping 9W CF fixture.

I know the light on this thing is basically crap, I wanted to use an 13W AH supply retrofit kit on it. Would that be sufficient lighting for this tank? I envision this as a low tech, moderate light, low maintenance Excel tank, that can grow the most plants slow and steady. The other option is I have is a 27W 6500K desk lamp that I could just stick right over it.

Thanks

 

[rusticitas]

I've had okay growth with the default light fixture. It will be slower, obviously, but you won't need to worry about CO2 and frequent water changes. I've grown crypts, even giant hairgrass (I can't yet figure why it grows like crazy in there, but not in my 3+wpg bigger tank!). Even Echinodorus tenellus pygmy chainsword grows ok.

I would think retrofitting with a 13W CF would be a pain in the ass, and would also get pretty hot as well...

 

[fjf888]

Thanks for the info. If you have had some success with just their light fixture as a low tech, I will give it a shot.

Thanks

Fred

 

[rusticitas]

I use Excel nearly every day (usually only miss when away for a weekend) as per instructions on the bottle. I have been dosing very small amounts of KNO2 + KH2PO4 once a week, and CSM+B once a week. I found some measuring spoons that have the really small measurements, like "nip," "pinch," etc.

I have very rarely done a water change, and not scientifically. I usually remove 1-3 gal approximately once a month while planting something new, or replanting, or trimming. Otherwise my arm/hand displaces water all over the place! And just go ahead and replace what I took out with new water and dose a small amount of GH Booster or Equilibrium.

It's not a spectacular tank, aquascape-wise, but I've been learning with it. The crypts generally seem pretty healthy in there. The C. pygmaea didn't do much.

I seem to get a tiny amount of "green dot" algae on the front of the tank on occasion, usually after a water change. Perhaps that has something to do with an influx of CO2? Not sure.

 

[markalot]

Apologies for a late post and bump, but I have an Eclipse 6 and was searching for lighting alternatives and found this:

Retrofit Systems - Compact Fluorescent - 8" Retrofit Systems

Apparently AH supply used to carry a kit that fit but no longer.

I'm sticking with the stock lighting for now but may upgrade if I can't keep the plants alive.

I'm stocking with cherry shrimp and ADF's.

 

[daversa]

EDIT: whoa, sorry, didn't realize this was such an old thread.

I have an eclipse, the corner 5 model, but similar enough

I ended up cutting an acrylic top for mine with a jigsaw and just putting a Coralife 2x18 watt light on it (I pulled out one bulb though, it was a little too much light). I'd probably just buy this one if I had to do it over again (although its almost as expensive as my light): http://www.petco.com/product/109791/Zilla-Mini-Desert-50-UVB-Reptile-Fixture.aspx

Also, if there's laser cutting available in your town, that would be much easier to cut the top.

Kind of over the top, but I bought a new HOB filter for mine, that made mounting everything easier. The stock filter kinda gets in the way.

 

[fjf888]

Wow you really resurrected an old thread

I still have this setup going and its going quite well. I settled on a 27W desk lamp, no CO2, using the Walstad method on this tank. After a year the plants really stopped growing and I decided to fert 1x a week and surprise surprise growth started again. I chose to run with less demanding plants so I didn't have to expend much effort.

I think you may have a problem with the HOB filter outgassing the CO2 with the higher lighting in this setup. Plus you have chosen demanding plants. I think you need to reduce your light and I am not sure your CO2 will be adequate for the HC and Hairgrass with the current setup. You might want to supplement with excel or consider a small pressurized system. I would consider a small internal filter you will need all the CO2 you can get in here. HC doesn't compete well with other plants for CO2 per some of the threads here, otherwise I would have recommended that you pack this tank with plants to mimimize potential algae issues that could arise.

Perhaps others can comment if I am way off base here.